Fighting Con-Dem attacks on education

Southampton's Tory hypocrite brought to book

Josh Asker, Southampton University Socialist Students

Education activists in Southampton confronted universities minister David Willetts on Friday 9 March over his plans to privatise education and the introduction of £9,000 fees.

After an event to publicise his book - The Pinch: How the Baby-Boomers Stole Their Children's Future - the Tory Havant MP was met by 60 activists.

Members of Southampton Students for Education were joined by Socialist Students, Youth Fight for Jobs and UCU union members to highlight the hypocrisy of his book and the full extent of his government's cuts. UCU representative and university professor Catherine Pope decried cuts of over 400 staff at the university last year and 100% removal of public funding to Arts and Humanity departments.

As frustrations grew over the ministers' refusal to answer questions or justify his policies, the MP for Havant was ushered away to the cries of "No ifs, not buts, no education cuts!"

Meanwhile protesters were left wondering who he will try to blame next. It was made clear by socialists at the event that we don't blame 'baby-boomers' for the economic crisis but the banks and big business who continue to rake in record profits while making young and working class people pay.

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Royal excuses from De Montfort student 'leader'

Lucy Stokes, Leicester

I had sent an email to De Montfort University (DMU) student union president Liam Davis regarding the NUS walkout.

His response said he had concerns that a second round of missed lectures wouldn't gain wider student support as lessons were already cancelled for the royal visit at DMU!

This shows how spineless he and the student union leaders are.

We need a fighting student union that takes action against fees and cuts, for a living grant for all, decent, affordable housing and decent jobs with decent pay guaranteed when students graduate from university.